SBX Pro Studio™ technologies

Works With Playstation®4

Welcome the arrival of the latest generation of console gaming! Get yourself ready to experience some unparalleled realistic gaming action by gearing up with the Sound Blaster Tactic3D Rage USB, compatible with the new Playstation 4 via 4 pole 3.5mm audio connector in analog mode.

Having some second thoughts....Jul 09, 2013
By M5000Here's an update after several months of using this headset. I've had time to thoroughly test it and I've sort of begun to have second thoughts about these..

Pros:-They still sound good after being broken in, though I've gotten used to them so they sound "normal" to me now. Though, they're still able to pump out sound as their name implies.-Everything pretty much still works. Yes, even the LED lights on the earpieces...-I'm able to find a comfortable medium even though they're not the most adaptable things in the world.-The utility software still can interface with them okay and works as original.

Cons:-Here's where things start breaking down... I have trouble finding a tightness/looseness setting for my average-sized head. They're either too loose and shimmy around at the slightest movement of my head, or they're too tight and pull my ears upward. I've been able to "deal with" having them a bit loose all the time.-The pads on the earpieces and the head band are not comfortable, they have either hardened over time (?) or were never that soft to begin with. They provide support but press too hard on the head.-I've found that the little foam thing that covers the microphone is good for absolutely nothing but falling off and getting lost. While I haven't lost mine permanently yet, it's fallen off countless times after being merely bumped.-The removable mic is not nearly as convenient as I had originally thought. I figured being able to remove the mic would make it easy to eat with these on, whereas I find myself usually trying to use the mic when I want to eat and having to bend it out of the way, or end my Skype calls. And you have to really bend it to get it out of the way. Numerous times the little foam mic cover has sponged up bits of soup or drinks.-Therefore, the mic is also becoming loose and having a lot of play in it. It had lots of play to begin with, but this was alleviated by a little notch in the socket it plugs in to so that it can only go on one way. However, now, it has a lot of play in it and, while it still holds it in a spot (sort of) you have to put the mic down to the end of the notch, then bend it up to your mouth.-A small bit of plastic has broken off of the little red bands that are right above the earpieces, the parts that they pivot about. This isn't major but these headphones have never been dropped or handled roughly.-I feel like something in the micro-USB end of the cable is about to give out any day now. It feels loose. I don't know if it's the set itself or the cable. It's a fancy, woven-nylon cable, but it's too rigid and thus (I believe) hurts the internal socket of the headset, or the end of the cable from the rigidity. I mean, it's easy to replace, as it is a standard size, but still, it's quite annoying.-And here's the biggest issue I'm having with them. It's a software issue now... This headset did not originally do this when I first used it, but it has begun to, under what seems to be a fairly heavy audio "load" (eg, lots of things playing/happening such as a game, notably I've been playing Arma II a lot with this set...), anyhow, when it's under a heavy load, the sound suddenly makes a pop and everything goes silent. After a few seconds, the audio returns, but at full volume, as the wheel on the headset is DIGITAL not ANALOG. I believe this is the audio driver stopping responding, or a loose connection in the headset somewhere. Skype will re-gain audio, but if I am in Arma II, the game must be re-started to re-gain my sound. This is absolutely infuriating, and has caused me to take off an entire one-and-a-half stars by itself, while all the other things add up to about half-a-star.

I originally thought I was going to never use an analog/3.5mm headset again with the high-power sound of USB, but this one has turned me off of larger headsets from Creative for the forseeable future.

My brother just got a Logitech G230, and it is of high build quality, and the mic folds neatly out of the way. I'm very seriously considering getting the Logitech G430, a slightly upscaled version of the G230, with an optional USB adapter and surround sound. It costs about as much as I originally paid for these, and Logitech has never steered me wrong, ever.

So that's what I say. Personally, I'd avoid this headset and would not recommend it to friends, unless you're able to pick it up for very cheap, as, as bad as some of the issues I've had are, the sound is still really REALLY good. So there's that. But that's about all I'd say this set has going for it anymore after a few months' use...

17 of 20 found the following review helpful:

An excellent entry level gaming headsetDec 13, 2012
By Media ManAs a DJ and avid gamer I'm always in the market for new and decent quality headphones. I've owned and used dozens of headphones over the years and there always seems to be something new for PC, gaming consoles and DJing. As I always enjoy testing out new headphones here are my thoughts on the Creative Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Rage USB Gaming Headset;

Pros

+ Nice sound and noise isolation. The bass is warm and rich, better than many of headphones I've owned.

+ Sits snuggly on your head (comes with a con see below)

+ Detachable microphone.

+ Convenient volume controls.

+ Solid sounding treble and bass.

+ Plenty of audio controls.

+ Multi-platform use (PC, Mac and many mobile devices).

+ Ability to change the color/pulsation of the lights on the ear cups. Cosmetic only but still neat.

+ Braided USB cord (Although some may view this as a Con).

+ Easy to set up.

Cons

- Works on PC/Mac/Mobile Devices only, no consoles hence the lower price point.

- No storage stand, case or cover.

- Earphones are faux leather and don't breathe well resulting in quite a bit of heat and sweat around my ears. Also, if you're a glasses wearer (like me) the headphones can really cause your cause your frames to dig into the side of your head. Rather painful. Unfortunately, this is very common with most over the ear headphones.

- Audio controls can be troublesome to adjust in the middle of a game.

- May be too heavy and bulky for some.

- No software included. You must download it externally online.

At the $80 range, the Creative Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Rage USB Gaming Headset is really quite good, especially if you're a big PC gamer. The build quality is relatively solid and it feels like the headset would hold up to rough users. There are also plenty of controls that allow you to customize your sound depending on what you're playing/watching/listening too. Despite a small list of Cons the Creative Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Rage USB Gaming Headset is an all-around affordable, functional and quality gaming headset.

5 of 5 found the following review helpful:

Overall a Great Product, A few things to be aware of.Jun 09, 2013
By ZachLI got this headset to replace my SB ArenaCreative Labs 51EF0180AA001 Sound Blaster Arena Surround USB Gaming Headset after one of the headphones snapped off. I settled on the wireless pair because I constantly knocked my old pair off by tripping on the wire, so I figured these might last a little longer without having to suffer that trauma. Overall I am extremely impressed.

Things it does well:* The sound quality is great, even though it claims to have the same range as my previous headset the quality is significantly better.* The battery life is everything it claims to be (so far); I have yet to use them long enough to need a recharge. (after about 7.5 hours they were just over half charged)* The included software is very user friendly and offers a ton of customization and profiles.* They are very powerful, I rarely have mine set over 25% and at 50-75% volume it is loud enough to listen to music while they are around your neck.

Things that could use a little improvement:* The first couple of days I wore the headset it was a little uncomfortable because it was so stiff, but it seems to be loosening up fairly quickly.* The mic is very sensitive, moving it half a cm in one direction or the other can vastly change the voice quality* The headset's noise isolation isn't as good as I expected. It does a fairly good job keeping you from hearing your surroundings, but not as good a job blocking your surroundings from hearing you.* All the controls are on the left side, which isn't really a problem, just not what I expected.* The wireless style is not compatible with mobile devices. (the specs say this, but I misread them)

Over all I am very pleased with them. I would also definitely recommend the wireless style if you are on the fence line because I already find my self taking advantage of it constantly. (ex. listening to music while I do housework, hearing conversations in TeamSpeak while I'm AFK, etc.)

2 of 2 found the following review helpful:

Headsets have come a long way!!Dec 23, 2013
By TRFBI own the previous version which was the HS-1000 Gaming Headset made by Creative Labs but it doesn't hold a candle to this one. My goodness. You can change the color of the headset! This is a wireless headset but you can use it while plugged into your USB port in case the battery is low.

You get up to 16 hours of wireless play time, however, that is dependent on whether you use all the bells and whistles such as the lights on the actual headset itself.

The stereo imaging in the headset is amazing. With deep rich Bass, clear highs and a 30 foot range wireless. Now it says it is compatible with the PS4, which at this time, I don't own, but I will enjoy using when my son gets his.

I like the microphone and how it is detachable. I made the mistake of plugging it in, but it is made to fit a special way the way that the part you plug in is modeled with a bevel. So, make sure you pay attention to that bevel otherwise you can ruin it. I'm glad I caught it and corrected it.

So, if you are not using the voice microphone, you can simply detach and use it to play your game.

This headset is made for gaming. I'm not a real big PC gamer, but I did try it out with Tomb Raider Anniversary on the PC and it was great sounding with all of the ambience that a game like Tomb Raider has to offer. really nice.

All in all, I'm very pleased with this headset. The only thing is the size. It is rather large, but it doesn't weigh all that much to fatigue your head. But, I can imagine if you wear it for some time and start to get headaches you should stop playing anyway.

I recommend this gaming headset.

2 of 2 found the following review helpful:

headset useful for anything with soundApr 09, 2013
By Amazon CustomerPros:-the design and look of the headset is very good.-build quality doesn't look or feel cheap.-Sound quality to me is very impressive, I'm not a headset snob so I'm not sure how it stacks up to others but by far the best I've had. Bass is also very impressive.-Microphone on this is amazing clean and crisp without picking up any background noise.-Microphone is detachable-Once you put on the headset you end up in your own little world.-Wireless allows you to move around a fair distance, went around my apartment with all the doors closed and had no problems with lag or with quality of sound.- HUGE PLUS changing color side panels you can change with the computer interface- buttons on the headset are easy to access-comfortable after about 5 hours of wear so far-fast charge, lasted the 5 hours of wear with 75% or more battery

Cons:-wire is really big but since its wireless after you charge no worries

Summary:Incredible headset with a lot of cool stuff, I use it for gaming and communicating with friends or teammates.great sound quality with a very far range and no lag.great batterylights up!!